A day after protesters shut down his police task force's final public meeting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he understands why people are so emotional about the city's policing problems but encouraged demonstrators to participate in the discussion instead of trying to end it.

On Thursday night, a boisterous crowd of about 40 demonstrators took over the stage where members of Emanuel's appointed task force had been trying to hold a meeting at Sullivan High School in Rogers Park. The mayor created the panel after the release of the McDonald shooting video, and the meeting marked the fourth and final of the panel's public hearings.

The crowd loudly chanted "Bull----!" as the panel attempted to hear from members of the public, each of whom were given two minutes to address the task force.

Asked about the takeover Friday, Emanuel launched into a winding, three-minute answer — long by his standards.

"People are emotional about things, and that's an OK thing. What I think is important is allowing people of different views to come and express themselves. It does indicate to me that the task force work is important," the mayor said. "Shutting off discussion doesn't help us get smarter, better and achieve the goal in this area, specifically about what reforms are necessary to create the trust — that's a two-way street and not a one-way street — that is so important for public safety."

Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune

Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks to reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for the Montclare Supportive Living Facility of Lawndale at Kostner Avenue and 19th Street on Feb. 26, 2016, in Chicago.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks to reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for the Montclare Supportive Living Facility of Lawndale at Kostner Avenue and 19th Street on Feb. 26, 2016, in Chicago.

(Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Thursday's meeting wasn't the first time protesters have ended a city meeting recently. Emanuel was confronted by protesters at two of his three public budget hearings last fall. At one, a group of demonstrators on a hunger strike to keep a South Side high school open filled the stage, and Emanuel ended the meeting early.

At the time, the mayor said people could disagree with him without being disagreeable. He repeated that line Friday when talking about the police task force meeting protest, but he also made the argument that he believes the protesters have more in common with the goals of officers and city officials than they may realize.

"If we hear each other and what we have to say, you'll find out there's more commonality and common ground than there are differences. That's my attitude about things," Emanuel said. "You should hear what other people say, because you may find that, rather than preconceived notions, there is a lot that holds us together."

Since the police scandal broke, Emanuel has publicly proclaimed that some Chicago cops operate under a code of silence to cover up wrongdoing. The mayor said Friday that he has held 12 community meetings on the police issue. He said the meetings have included police commanders, religious leaders, business leaders, block club presidents and other stakeholders in neighborhoods across the city.

By holding the meetings behind the scenes and now highlighting them publicly, Emanuel is attempting to rewrite a narrative that has emerged during his tenure as mayor — that he acts without listening and fails to engage community leaders.

"Nobody is saying, 'Get the police out of here.' In fact, if anything, they're saying, 'We want more of a police presence. Here's what we'd like to see. We want the officer to know who we are and we want to know the officer.' That is different," Emanuel said of his takeaway from the community meetings.

"That is the framework of community policing, and if you don't have those discussions, you're going to assume you don't want officers and the officer is going to assume you're not hospitable," the mayor said. "In all these meetings, we've seen just the opposite."